Cervantes — An example of change

Luis Angel Cervantes

By Luis Angel Cervantes

We hope our letters serve as a window of knowledge, mutually needed at times by our students, to entice our own community to look past and be fond of our school. With all my aspiration to be me, thank you.

I started my educational years at Bijou Elementary School; I remember a special teacher telling me “it’s okay you’re different” as if she took a glimpse into a whole different world for me. Maybe because she knew that after I’d leave Bijou School, I’d take bigger chances and would be introduced to all kinds of bigger choices and opportunities. Unfortunately in between moving schools, losing my mother to deportation, I made it through school in a logical sense. But when I entered South Tahoe High, I became disconnected.

Students around STHS, I believe, are more inclined to stick to their friends, and not branch out to their peers. This is why I didn’t even think about trying to interact with different groups of students from which I was accustomed to. During my years attending South Tahoe High I definitely lost a sense of self, I blended in with everyone and when I wasn’t blending in I was trying to be like other people.

I started a change which I now can truly understand. Change was overdue at a perfect time in my life, and all too great to ignore not to apply. I almost lost it all and now I won’t stop until I accomplish all without giving in.

Living life and learning fast really taught me a great deal. So with my newly predetermined strongest sense of self I’ve ever felt, I didn’t think twice of joining the leadership team at Tallac High. This team has devoted love for our school, and dislike when people around our community look down at us as if we aren’t trying just as hard or even harder to obtain a diploma at the end of the year just like the students at our neighboring school.

Our goal with leadership this year is to establish and leave a part of each one of our leaders at Mt. Tallac High, so that maybe future students can see how we didn’t conform and actually stood up for the unheard or the unwilling voices to be heard.

Part of our change at Tallac is choosing our class color as purple and our mascot a Phoenix, a large intriguing bird symbolizing immortality and re-incarnation.

Luis Angel Cervantes is a senior at Mt. Tallac High School in South Lake Tahoe.